Torchwood: After ‘Children of Earth’ Comes ‘The New World’

Children of Earth was the banner title for the third season of Torchwood, a five-part miniseries event that was lauded by both fans and critics. Now, after Torchwood‘s move to Starz, it seems as though it’s getting another such title — something that the first two seasons of the show didn’t have.

As a whole, the season will be titled “The New World,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. While this obviously refers to the new audience and new setting of the series, it could very well also describe a more literal “new world,” as in a planet.

The new story will follow a CIA agent (Rex) and analyst (Ester) who tackle an alien-related global issue. Torchwood, having been destroyed and disbanded, is “like a legend now … it’s like something that’s ceased to exist and is now spoken of only in whispers.” Soon, Rex and Ester are on the run and are seeking out the help of Captain Jack and Gwen.

That synopsis sort of leaves room for both explanations, though it’s interesting to see the two new main characters being American. “The two teams coming together is a big part of the story — are they friends or enemies? There’s a lot of sparks and excitement,” shared creator and showrunner Russell T. Davies.

“We definitely have a really big story to tell,” said executive producer Julie Gardner. “It’s absolutely rebooted to welcome in a new audience.”

The series will be akin to Children of Earth in that it will tell one big story, only this time with double the number of episodes. The ten episode season will also, according to the article, have more room for sex and violence now that it’s on a pay-cable network.

“I’ve always had loose standards and practices,” Davies said. “If the story demands intimacy or savagery, we will go there absolutely … [but] there’s nothing better than a great big global thriller that stops for a sex scene — it’s probably hard to make that happen in a thriller.”

Torchwood: The New World is slated to premiere on Starz and BBC One next year.